(CNN) - A former U.S. Senate aide who was charged last month with possessing child pornography was found dead Thursday in a Maryland home where he's been living with relatives, the Carroll County Sheriff's Office in Maryland said.

Investigators preliminarily believe Jesse Ryan Loskarn "may have taken his own life," the office said.
His parents, Chuck and Gay Loskarn, issued a statement saying they are "devastated" by his death and asked for privacy.

"We loved our son very much," they said. "Pray for him, his family and friends."

An affidavit from a U.S. postal inspector alleged Loskarn made several purchases in 2010 and 2011 from a Canadian company selling sexually explicit DVDs and streaming videos, the majority of which featured underage nude boys.

Federal investigators also said that in October, child pornography files were being offered for download on an Internet peer-to-peer network linked to Loskarn's residential IP address.

It included a 28-minute video of graphic material featuring children reportedly as young as 6 years old, authorities said.

Loskarn, a Maryland native who had previously worked for two Republican House members and the House Rules Committee and the Senate Republican Conference, did not enter a plea during an appearance in U.S. District Court on January 12.

@Malory-Don`t get your hopes up. No one is going to spin Loskarn`s sick ways. Well, maybe Battleground Texas. They did make fun of a guy for being in a wheelchair.
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You keep trying to work this dishonest political trick. Did you actually look at the video? It was a carefully edited film of a couple of ridiculous women who weren't even identified. Even their stupid comments were chopped and edited. They could have very easily been a part of the ploy. The actual footage of Battleground Texas said nothing about Greg Abott's wheelchair. The "Stand With Wendy" phrase refers to her long filibuster – where she even wore a urinary catheter because Republicans would end the filibuster if she went to the bathroom. This is the event where Wendy Davis got recognized. She was STANDING! You're not furthering the conservative position by using these cheap, Tea Party tricks to try to win the election. Americans are tired of distortions and dishonest conspiracies.

January 24, 2014 02:17 pm at 2:17 pm |

yolanda

@ART, perhaps you and @Doug can get together and have a high brow conversation, since it is obvious that you both have so much to contribute to a thoughtful dialogue.

January 24, 2014 02:18 pm at 2:18 pm |

Brian

If he were someone working for a Democrat, there would absolutely be a headline on FoxNews discussing a conspiracy and cover up.

January 24, 2014 02:19 pm at 2:19 pm |

Rudy NYC

"Doesn`t surprise me, this guy was mentally ill."

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

And you know this because.....
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"He's dead, Jim." He took his own life.

January 24, 2014 02:20 pm at 2:20 pm |

XanJester

Good! now if we could only get the rest of them to follow suit.

January 24, 2014 02:21 pm at 2:21 pm |

El Ché

Kill your own subordinates when they do something wrong out of fear of the boss losing glory?

January 24, 2014 02:22 pm at 2:22 pm |

STJ Florida

Typical Republican, can't take the heat...stay out of the kitchen...

January 24, 2014 02:23 pm at 2:23 pm |

Doc

Come on, people. Some of you should be ashamed of yourselves. Reprehensible acts, for sure, but hardly limited to Republican offenders. To suggest as much belittles the offense and the victims. If you can't get past the fact that some things just don't have anything to do with politics, then you have a problem you need to fix.

His parents said, "Pray for him, his family and friends." They might have added their son's victims to their list of those needing prayers.

January 24, 2014 02:24 pm at 2:24 pm |

mp

Uh...I have democrat leanings but maybe "Libdub" is referring to the runaway success of the market during the Obama era. This on the whole represents further separation of the 1% from the rest of us. While unions get trounced and pensions dissolved. Is this considered a success for the average worker? I don't think so.

January 24, 2014 02:25 pm at 2:25 pm |

Bobb Dobbs

What IS it with republicans and always being outed as hyprocritical perverts?

January 24, 2014 02:25 pm at 2:25 pm |

mp

I just made as completely innocuous statement with no bad words and my "comment is awaiting moderation"???? Must be for past sins – I'm on the "no comment list".

Pedophilia holds no party affiliation. Anyone can be one. And yes, they are usually cowards. I really hate he's going to miss his date with Bubba, Pookie, or Peanut, in the joint.

January 24, 2014 02:37 pm at 2:37 pm |

rl

So!

January 24, 2014 02:38 pm at 2:38 pm |

Gargelygoop

Liberal Dems are stupid, and it is obvious that Conservative Pubs are as well. Thank goodness for the Moderate Independent slot. The worst part about this is that he couldn't take all the rest of the idiocratic duality with him. Correct me if you think I'm wrong just so I know which group your in. Fool!

January 24, 2014 02:43 pm at 2:43 pm |

Anon

I knew it would be a Republican before even opening the article. Hypocrites. Guy probably went to church, too.